Litigate to advocate
The Learning Lunch podcast explores ideas, approaches and social innovations – creating opportunity for non-profit organisations’ teams to discover what others are learning and space to reflect on what these insights might mean for their own strategy and programme implementation. Download takeaway instructions Strategic litigation is a tactic that involves going to court to promote […]
New pilot to support the nutrition of pregnant women and mothers in the Western Cape
On 7 April 2025, Western Cape MEC of Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger, delivered her budget speech in which she tackled a hard reality: over a quarter of children under five in South Africa are stunted. MEC Wenger pointed out that stunting isn’t just a health issue; it limits a child’s potential in every way. […]
Hands-on Learning Issue 29
Through the Hands-on Learning publication, we hope to play a helpful role in synthesising information from innovators and implementers in civil society, supporting them to share what they have learnt so that others can draw from and build on their experiences. Data-informed arguments for investment in children In 2024, analysis of routine data revealed that […]
Stop delaying the introduction of maternity support for poor pregnant women
A coalition of NGOs and researchers is calling on the government to greenlight a Maternal Support Grant (MSG) for poor pregnant women whose nutrition, and that of their unborn children, are at stake amid rising rates of child poverty and malnutrition. This clarion call for political leaders to address a long-standing gap in South Africa’s […]
MEDIA STATEMENT: DGMT Files Legal Application Opposing Extended Liquor Trading Hours to Protect Public Health in Northern Cape
The DG Murray Trust (DGMT) is going to court to stop the Northern Cape Provincial Government from extending liquor trading hours in a region with the highest prevalence of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in the world. Heavy and binge drinking in the Northern Cape have reached alarming levels. To date, one in five children […]
Alcohol Taxation Review: A Bold Step Toward Reducing Alcohol Harms in South Africa
*UPDATE: THE DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 14 FEBRUARY 2025* South Africa faces a paradox: fewer than a third of its citizens consume alcohol, yet we are among the world’s heaviest-drinking nations. Over 59% of drinkers engage in binge drinking, defined as consuming more than five standard drinks in a single sitting. This […]
Four things we can do to tackle Cape Town’s waste problem
Nationally, waste removal services are unequal depending on where you live. It’s not surprising that suburbs and wealthier areas benefit more from regular waste removal than informal settlements and outlying areas. In Cape Town, with a growing population, the municipality is looking to address its own waste management problems head-on with a new strategy. The […]
Hands-on Learning Issue 28
Through the Hands-on Learning publication we hope to play a helpful role in synthesising information from innovators and implementers in civil society, supporting them to share what they have learnt so that others can draw from and build on their experiences. Spotlight on obstetric violence: Building a compelling argument for social change Obstetric violence (OV) […]
Learning Brief – Navigating change in complex social systems
Systemic change typically unfolds within complex social systems where interactions are dynamic and often unpredictable. Many of our most pressing social challenges – like poverty and climate change – stem from these large, intricate systems, making the path to meaningful change uncertain and non-linear. In these systems, behaviours and patterns are deeply ingrained. This learning […]
Learning Brief – Funding social change through trust-based funding
Community-based organisations (CBOs) are non-profits operating directly in communities, often with limited financial resources at their disposal. They tend to rely on volunteers, responsive to the unique needs of their community and often best placed to diagnose problems and identify solutions with residents. Many are financially excluded from mainstream grant funding because they operate in […]
